Edward Hollows
Sir Edward Joseph Hollows (15 March 1840 - 7 December 1911) was a Georgeland politician and jurist who served as Georgeland's first Attorney General and later as Chief Justice of the state of Mainland. He played an integral role in the formation of Georgeland's government and co-authored the Constitution of Georgeland. With Robert Pearce and Samuel Horrocks he is generally considered to be one of Georgeland's "founding fathers". Early life Hollows was born in Croftfield, West Mainland in 1840, the fifth of nine children to Alexander Hollows and his wife Mabel, both immigrants (Alexander was born in Wales and Mabel in Canada. Hollows was brought up as a strict Anglican and remained a devout member of that church for his entire life and career. Educated privately for much of his early life, in 1854 Hollows was accepted into the prestigious St. Barnard's School in Weston, and went from there to the University of Mainland in 1868. The University was Georgeland's only one at the time, and Hollows soon took to university life, becoming editor of the law review paper and a talented debater (he was part of his college's forensics team, and later its captain). He also developed a keen interest in rowing and politics. He graduated with a law degree in 1873 and was admitted to the Bar the following year. Practicing initially as a barrister, he became attracted to the politics of the newly-formed Conservative Party of Georgeland in the 1860s and 1870s, and in 1875 stood as Conservative candidate for the seat of Chipwich and Region in the Colonial parliament, to which he was elected. Colonial politics Hollows was a brilliant orator who became famous for his speeches on the floor of the House of Assembly, the colonial parliament's lower chamber. Hollows was a cautious politician, however, who rarely took a radical view and tended to support the majority in most decisions. He came to be seen as an ally of the party's leader, Richard Manor. In 1879, Manor became Chief Minister of Georgeland and appointed Hollows as Minister for Works and Railways, but two years later the Manor government fell. In opposition again, Hollows became a leading advocate, with Robert Pearce, of increased independence for Georgeland, something the party's new leader, Alexander Newman, despised. Hollows was confined to the backbench under Hollows' leadership, both in opposition and in government from 1885. However, when Pearce became Chief Minister after Newman's death in 1888, he recognised the talent in Hollows and appointed him as the colony's Solicitor General, its chief legal officer. Hollows enthusiastically supported Pearce's plans for Georgeland's dominion status. "The Crown, The Nation and Glory" Hollows sailed to London with Pearce in July 1888 to gain support in Westminster for the colony to be given independence. Hollows argued passionately in front of large crowds that Georgeland be allowed to follow the lead of Canada in becoming a Dominion of the British Empire, "for the crown, for the nation and for the glory of its people". The British public took to Hollows oratorial style with enthusiasm. It is generally acknowledged that had it not been for the popularity of Hollows with the British people, the Colonial Office, Salisbury and even Queen Victoria herself would not have so readily consented to Georgeland's independence. When independence was finally agreed to, on the proviso a constitution be produced and voted on, Hollows played a key role in the drafting of Georgeland's constitution. Exactly which portions of the constitution Hollows authored is not known; however, he is reported to have played 'the most crucial role' in its authorship. He worked closely with Samuel Horrocks and John Bartlett in the Constitution's drafting, as well as with Pearce and others. Many historians and constitutional scholars believe Hollows authored the majority of the document, given his enthusiastic advocacy of much of its contents. Attorney General In the first government of Robert Pearce, Georgeland's first national ministry, Hollows served as Attorney General. He was regarded as a able politician and a brilliant lawyer. It was Hollows' tenure as Attorney General that established significant federal laws that remain to this day, including the Federal Arbitration Act and the Maritime Registry Act. Perhaps most important, however, was the establishment of the Supreme Court of Georgeland in 1894. Hollows was the architect of the Supreme Court's wide powers and independent jurisdiction. He also, ironically, advocated a fixed retirement age for Supreme Court justices, something which did not occur for the better part of a century. Hollows almost single-handedly authored the Federal Judicial Act and the Federal Penal Code (1894), two pieces of legislation that established not only the Supreme Court but also the federal appelate courts and set the tone for judicial proceedings in Georgeland in the future. Hollows was heralded as the father of the court and personally recommended Samuel Horrocks, the prominent jurist and colonial politician, as its first Chief Justice. Horrocks was a committed Protectionist, and it was thought that Hollows should also be appointed to the bench for 'balance', but he declined the appointment. Judicial career In October 1894, Hollows retired from politics, accepting an appointment as Chief Justice of Mainland, the senior judge in that state. The state's superior court had been established in 1891 but no jurist deemed "of sufficient stature" was found to fill the position, and Hollows agreed to fill it after he had established a federal Supreme Court. Hollows was Chief Justice of Mainland for 12 years, retiring in 1906. His period in office remained the longest until overtaken by Richard Wallace in 1947. He was regarded as an even-handed justice who nonetheless set the direction of the court towards conservative jurisprudence. In 1902 he angered Pearce by ruling in favour of the state when the federal government took the state government to court over defaulted federal loans. The two men regardless remained close friends. Retirement and death In May 1906, Hollows, now in his late sixties, opted to retire from the bench for health reasons. He had been feeling increasingly tired and ill over the past few months. Hollows presided over his last case on May 19. Following his retirement, he appeared in public only infrequently. He published his memoirs in 1909 and a volume of his judicial decisions, with his annotations, was published just before his death. He died on 7 December 1911 at the age of seventy-one, from heart failure. He was survived by his wife Helen, whom he had married in 1866, five children and eleven grandchildren. Legacy Hollows is considered as one of Georgeland's most influential early figures and as a national 'founding father'. His role in establishing the Constitution and the nation's early framework is credited with the long-term stability of Georgeland's legal system. Category:Georgeland